Rose Colored Glass
by BlueSuedeShoes
Summary: A throwback to Season 5: Clark and Lois respond to an e-mail from the now fifteen-year-old Maddie.


**Author's Comment: Before you read this, it might be necessary to jog your memory on the Season 5 episode Fragile. I just watched it again, and I found myself wanting to do a little continuation on Maddie's story. She was such a great character.**

**BlueSuedeShoes**

**P.S. Hope you like my first stab at a Clark/Lois story, and also, don't worry, I'm still hard at work on An Origin Story, it's just being an ill-behaved plot right now, and won't listen to a word I say.**

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_Dear Clark,_

_I started high school today. Isn't that weird? I don't feel like a high schooler. I still just feel like that little girl who doesn't talk to anyone half the time. I expected school to be so awful. You know how much I don't like change, and meeting new people...it's all so overwhelming. Middle school was bad enough. At least I'd gotten used to it, though._

_Grandma says high school is much better than middle. I don't know about that, but in the end it wasn't so bad. My friend Katie was in my first period English class, so at least there was that. English is Katie's favorite subject. I think it's okay. What was really great about it, though, was my fourth period art class. The teacher, Ms. Bell, is _really_ nice. She kind of reminds me of your mom a little bit. She says she wants us to "learn to use all kinds of media to express what's in our souls." That seems like a really impressive way to tell us we're going to use something other than colored pencils, but I have to admit at the time I was enraptured. ('Enraptured' is Katie's favorite word. She uses it _all_ the time.) She was so excited about everything she said. It was kind of catching. Grandma says art is fine in its place, but I had better try to learn some respectable grammar and mathematics while I'm at school. Grandma's funny that way. She says stuff like that to me, but she tells me all my drawings are amazing, and I overheard her saying on the phone to her friend that she sent me to this school especially _because_ of Ms. Bell. I love Grandma._

_The boy who sat next to me in art class was really nice to me to. He's really friendly. I like people like that. They don't mind that I'm shy because they're friendly enough for the two of us put together. His name is Cameron and he's really tall, kind of like you. How tall were you when you were fifteen, Clark? I bet Cameron will be almost as tall as you when he's done with high school. Anyway, he says he likes art pretty well, but mostly he likes sports. He told me he's going to try out for the football team and wanted to know if I was going to go out for cheer. I looked at him like he was out of his mind and he laughed. I don't know why it was so funny. Do I look like a cheerleader to you? I asked Cameron that, and he told me I was pretty enough to be one, but he was mostly asking because he was hoping he would see me somewhere other than class. Clark, I think Cameron is crazy._

_Cute. But craaaaazeee._

_How is Shelby? I miss him. Shelby has to be the world's greatest dog. Grandma says she wishes she could get me a dog, but she's allergic. I think that's sad. Grandma is exactly the sort of person who _should _have a dog. Don't you think so? Speaking of allergic, how is Lois?_

_ Anyway, I should go. The down side of high school is that I actually have homework on the first day of school. I have to write a two page composition on who I am and the kind of person I'd like to be for English class. Clark, how on earth does _any_ person talk about themself for two whole pages? I don't think my English teacher and I are going to get __along very well, but Grandma says that those are exactly the kind of people it's most important to make friends with. I guess we'll find out together._

_Miss You!_

_Maddie_

_P.S. Please give Shelby a big hug for me!_

Clark read the e-mail with a smile. He still remembered the shy little eleven year old he had found all alone, scared out of her mind and surrounded by shattered glass.

Glancing across the table at Lois, he noted that she was hard at work making phone call after phone call, chasing down a source, and probably wouldn't notice if he took ten seconds to respond even though he was supposed to be working.

_Maddie-_

_It sounds like you had a pretty good first day all things considered. I know my first day went much, much worse. Don't let high school scare you, though. Your grandmother is right. It's really much better than middle school. Middle school is just..._awkward.

_I'm glad you've got such a great art teacher. You should show her the photos you sent me of all your stained glass projects. I bet she would really like them. I know I thought they were amazing. As for this Cameron person, he sounds untrustworthy. You should always be careful around guys. Better just stick with Katie. She's a good friend._

_Shelby is good. He's getting up there in years though. I'm trying to pretend he's not getting old, but every once in a while I'm forced to notice that he's slowing down. Yeah, though, that's a shame you're grandmother's allergic. You'll have to come visit sometime soon and play with Shelby. I know he misses you. And yes, Lois is good, too._

_I can't imagine talking about myself for two whole pages, either, but I'm sure you'll manage. Just say what comes to mind: whatever you want people to know about you or-_

"Smallville!"

Clark jumped and looked around to see Lois leaning over his shoulder.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, do I have to do all the work? I can't believe you're answering personal stuff when you're on the clock. You have work to do. Go get me some coffee from the machine downstairs and then we're leaving. I got a major tip we need to follow up on."

Clark sighed, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement even as he got up and went to get Lois's coffee. _The things I do for that woman_, he thought to himself.

Lois watched his retreating back and smirked, immediately sitting down to the computer and beginning to type where Clark had left off.

_...whatever you want people to know about you. Show off a little! You're an awesome kid!_

_And actually, you know what I was saying about that Cameron kid? Forget it. He actually sounds like a pretty great guy. You should go watch the football try-outs. If he starts showing off when he knows you're there, that means he likes you. And don't be shy about asking him out if he takes too long to ask you out. Go for it, girl!_

_Anyway, I need to get back to work. I'm slacking off. Thank God Lois is around to keep me in line, right?_

_Miss You, Too,_

_Clarky_

_P.S. Lois says hi._

Clark arrived just in time to catch Lois hitting 'send.' He read what she'd written and sighed.

"Clarky? Really?"

"What?" Lois teased, snatching the coffee from his hand. "I always thought it was kind of a cute nickname for you. By the way, ten bucks says this Cameron kid reminds her of you."

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous about it? I'd have a crush on you, too."

Clark grinned at her. "I thought you _did_ have a crush on me," he said, taking a step closer to her, just enough to invade her comfort zone a bit.

Successfully dazed by his proximity, Lois stammered for only a moment before collecting herself. "In your dreams, Smallville. I'm _way_ out of your league." She quickly brushed past him. "Now let's get going. News waits for no reporter!"

Clark shook his head as he watched her go before he jogged after her to catch up. They both knew she loved him.


End file.
